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Why University Presses

Mission

Wayne State University Press is a distinctive urban publisher of exceptional books and journals. The Press is committed to its parent institution’s mission, creating and advancing knowledge, preparing a diverse student body to thrive, and positively impacting local and global communities, while expanding the international reputation of the Press and the University. Our distinguished publications—whether print or digital—educate and inspire. We are active promoters of the written word, uncommon voices, and of the arts and culture scene in our community.

Publishing Program

Wayne State University Press is an established mid-sized university press that publishes approximately 40 new books and 11 journals per year.

The Value of University Presses

WSU Press has a staff of professional book marketers, editors, and designers who are passionate about disseminating great scholarship. We know how to shape and refine books, and we understand the business of bookmaking and bookselling. The press shares the knowledge of its staff with WSU students through its internship program, and it provides would-be publishing professionals a place to learn and work by hiring student assistants. The Press’s relationships with other university units such as the library system and its book club and the Children’s Bridge initiative foster a university-wide scholarly communication system.

University presses publish academics who would not otherwise get published and who would not otherwise receive tenure. Wayne State University Press relies on the university’s faculty for editorial advice and oversight. We offer authors and would-be authors peer-review, a process that enables university-trained scholars to critique and advise other university-trained scholars. The peer-review process facilitates teaching and learning. It facilitates the sharing of ideas, an effort that universities encourage and foster.

Cathy Davidson, vice provost of Duke, told ACLS that university presses should be and be seen as an opportunity for their parent institutions. Wayne State University Press is such an opportunity. Through us, the University associates itself with brave scholarship and rich local history, distinguishes itself as the supporter of a leading publisher of Great Lakes books, Judaica, and African American studies, and extends its name into thousands of homes, schools, and libraries in many countries around the globe.

Read more on the value of university presses, compiled by the AAUP (Association of American University Presses.)